Odorless sanitary dry closet.



K. GOWAN. ODORLESS SANITARY DRY GLOSET. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20, 1912.

K. COWAN. ODORLESS SANITARY DRY GLOSET. APPLIoATloN FILED AUG. zo, 1912.

1,065,662. Patented June 24, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KITT COWAN, OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

ODORLESSSANITARY DRY CLOSET.

ToY all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, Krr'r Cowan, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort VOrth, in the county of Tarrant andl State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in odorless Sanitary Dry Closets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates tol toilets, and more particularly to receptacles for ventilated seats which are adapted to constitute dry closets.

The objects are to provide devices of the cha-racter set forth", which will be odorless and sanitary and cleanly, and which are highly eiiicient for' use in toilet rooms or closets, and to provide devices for easy and quick removal of all' deposits 4from the receptacles; and for adapting the seatsand receptacles to toilets of railway coaches. The advantages are that all odor of gas or fetid matter is taken entirely out of the building, and foulv air that may be in a building will be taken through the closet seat, and sent away in the atmosphere above the building, the structure of the hopper forming not only a guide for whatever mat-- ter is to be deposited in the air tight vessel below, but also to guidek the draft through the closet seat to the ventilator pipe. In view of legislation being passed in different States, and other legislation 'in process of formation, to the effect that railway companies will not be allowed to scatter the fetid matter any and every where over the tracks, this invention is particularly adapted for use in toilets of ra-ilway coaches, so that the matter can be dumpedI in specified places. Another advantage is that the toilet rooms will not have to be locked at railway stations in cities as at present, because the matter is stored and can be deposited at some designated place. Another advantage is the sanitary feature.

In order to set forth the advantages of my invention, it will be necessary to describe and illustrate a complete toilet apparatus.

The receptacles not only prevent. any odor from entering` the toilet room, but the ventilators will even take any foul atmosphere out of a toilet room, and send it away above the coach or building.

Other objects and advantages will be fully explained in the following description, and the invention will be more particularly pointed. out in. the claims.

Serial No. 716,010.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application.

Figure l is a side elevation' of a toilet seat and the attachments thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the seat and hopper and ventilator, and a part of the @ir tight vessel. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the hopper and seat and a portion of the depository vessel, at right angles to the section sho-wn in lFig. 2,- showing a slight variation in the juncture of the casing with the floor and the air tight vesselv below. Fig. et is a side aelevation of the air tight receptacle and the ginechanism for elevating the receptacle. gFig. 5 is a side elevation of the same, taken at right angles to the view in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 iis a closed vertical section similar to Fig. 2, lbut show-ing a variation in the means for `1 coupling the air tight receptacle to t-he under side of the floor ,in a building. Fig. T is a Eperspective view of the coupling shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is af det-ail view of a ventilator attachment, being a variation from the attachment shown in previous views, andy being for the purpose of adapting' the delvice to different structures and buildings.

Similar characters o-f reference are used lto indicate the same parts throughout the @several views.

The improved toilet device includes a cas ing l, which is to be placed on the floor of a building.

This casing has a horizontal `flange 2, by which the casing is att-ached to the floor by suitable bolts. One advantage of this form of structure is that the casing may be placed in position on the floor andthe outline marked from the inside and outside on the floor and the bolt holes also lo'- cated, and then removed so that the holes can be made thro-ugh the floor. The casing l has an interior hopper 3, which is preferably integral with the casing 1. The casing 1 is elongated at the upper and back part,-

for the purpose of formingA a ventilator connection et, and provides the ventilatorthroat 5. The hopper 3 is curved at 6, to make sufficient space within the front part of the hopper and is curved at 7, so that the deposit will not strike near the top of the hopper. By reason of the construction of the casing 1, a ledge 8 is formed at the back side and a seat 9 is hinged to the ledge 8, and a lid 10 is hinged to the seat 9. A ventilator coupling 11 is bolted to the rear part. of the casing l. The coupling 11., in

Patented June 24, 1913.V

Fig. 1, has an upwardly projecting spout 13, over which a ventilator' pipe 12 may be placed. 2 shows a slight variation in this spout, in that the spout 13 has a groove 1d aroninl the base thereof for receiving the lower edge of the ventilator pipe.

l'lelow the casing l. and below the floor the building. there is an air tight receptacle, that is, it is air tight exceptthrough the ventilator pipe. rlhe structure above the floor is such that a draft will be drawn constantly through the seat. and the particular shape of the hopper 3 aids in forcing` and directing the draft through the seat and out through the throat 5 and the pipe 12. This structurt will prevent any odor at all from escaping from the closet seat or hop per in the toilet room or other sin'iilar room. .et deposit receptacle or vessel is mounted below the floor, and means are provided for making the vessel 15 air tight, except through the ventilator above described. .fr seal 16 provided and bolted to the underside of the floor of the building. the bolts extending through the flanges 2 and down through the horizontal flange of the seal 1G. ln this manner. an absolutely air tight joint may be formed, because any suitable ninnber of bolts and nuts may be provided to clamp the flange 2 and the seal 16 as tight as may be desired on the floor. Fig. 8 shows a slight variation in the sealing of the connection between the vessel 15 and the floor and casing 1. In 2, the casing 1 ends at the floor; in Ylig. 3 the casing 1 is provided with an annular flange 17, which projects below the floor and within the seal 1G. Provision is also made for increasing or lengthening the seal 1G. As shown in Fig. G. ay doulole flanged ring 18 is bolted to the floor instead of the seal 1G, and the seal lf3 is bolted to the lower flange of the ring 18. rfhis ring is to be made of differentdepths or heights, so that the structure can be adapted to different structures of buildings. 2t platform 1S) is hung on the seal 1G by means of strips or hangers 2O on the sides, and a front hanger 21. These hangers are securely attached to the base 19, and to the seal 1G, by suitable bolts. The platform 1) is thus stationary. The vessel 15 is mounted directly on a platform 28, and the platform 23 is mounted on chan nel bars Q2. Provision is made for elevating and lowering the vessel 15, together with the platform and channel bars 2n, so that the channel bars when let down will rest on the platform 19. The object of this provision is to provide means for emptying or cleansing the vessel or receptacle 15, and also forcing this vessel up against the seal 16 to form an air tight joint with the seal 16. The platform 1S) may consist of bars or a solid floor. he guide rods 24C are attached by bolts and nuts to platform 19,

and. project up through the channel bars 2Q and floor next to the front of the device, for the purpose of causing the platform to move in` a. vertical direction, so that the vessel 15 will not swing out of position. The object of (his is to malte the vessel 15 rise vertically upward, so that when it comes in contact with the seal 1G an air tight joint is made. Bridle rods Q5 are threaded at the lower ends and attached to the channel bars 22 by nuts above the floor i2?) and below the channel bars 22, so that the bridle rods will be adjustable vertically. The bridle rods are welded together at the upper ends and threaded and bent horizontally, to project loosely through the hangers 20, the hangers having slots 25 for the vertical movement of the bridle rods. Nuts 215 are used to prevent displacement of the bridle rods. it rocker shaft 2G is journaled in the platform 19. A. lever 27 is fulcrumed on the shaft 2G. A link bar 28 is pivotally connected to the lever 2 and at the upper end has a hole to receive the bent portion of the bridle rod; the link rod being thus loosely hung on the bridle rod makes a pivotal connection. @n the other side of the vessel, there is the same construction, except that instead of a full length lever, a short lever 9.9 answers the purpose of lifting the platform 23. F 1 shows the receptacle raised up in the sealed position; Fig. 4t shows the vessel 15 lowered for the purpose of removal or cleansing or emptying. The link rods Q8 and the lever 27 thus serve to elevate and lower the receptacle 15, and the guide rods 24k prevent a displacement of the vessel 15 in its vertical movement. In order to properly place the vessel 15 on the platform 23, ujistanding lugs or guides 30 are attached to the platform E23, so that in replacing the vessel 15 on the platform, it will be in the precise position desired when shoved back against the lugs or guides 30.

The air currents will come downward through the hopper, thoroughly scavenging the same, and result in perfectly sanitary conditions. lt. will be noted that l permit both the solid and the liquid excrements to fall into the same receptacle as have found that this tends to suppress odors and this object may be further carried out by the occasional sprinkling of the'mixture with lime or other suitable digestive or disinfectant agent.

lt will be seen that lf have provided an exceedingly sanita-ry, simple and convenient dry closet arrangement, which may be readily7 adapted to all places not provided fith a sewerage system, and it is thought that the many advantages of my invention will be readily appreciated by those conversant with such matters.

vWhat l claim, is,-

1. ln a dry closet, a movable receptacle and means for supporting said receptacle consisting of a hanger having upper and lower' annular interior iianges, aV double cone-shaped sealing connection having an annular interior flange attached to the lower flange of said hanger, a platform and strips attached to said platform and to the upper cone-shape 0f said sealing connection, and means operatively connected to said platform and to said strips for causing said receptacle to engage the lower cone-shape of said sealing connection.

2. In a dry closet, a movable receptacle, a hanger having a horizontal flange for attaching' to a support and having a funnel shaped lower end, a fixed platform and hanger bars attached to said platform and to said hanger, a movable platform resting on said fixed platform, said bars having vertical slots therein, levers having a fulcrum in said fixed platform, link bars pivotally connected to said levers, bridle rods connected to said movable platform and projecting through said link bars at their upper ends and through the slots in said hanger bars, and nuts for preventing displacement of said bridle rods.

3. In a dry closet, a movable receptacle, a sealing hanger and means for supporting the same, a fixed platform and hanger bars attached thereto and to said sealing hanger and having vertical slots therein, said sealing hanger having a funnel shaped lower end, a movable platform adapted to rest on said fixed platform, a fulcrum bar journaled in said fixed platform, levers engaging said fulcrum bar, link bars pivotally connected with said levers and projecting upwardly and having holes through their upper ends, bridle rods engaging said movable platform and extended upwardly and projected through said link bars and through said hanger bars, and nuts for preventing the displacement of said bridle rods.

4. In a dry closet provided with a movable receptacle, means for supporting and lowering and elevating said receptacle consisting of a xed platform, a fixed sealing connection above said platform, hanger bars attached to said platform and to said sealing connection, a movable platform adapted to rest on said fixed platform and to support. said receptacle, a fulcrum bar journaled in said fixed platform, levers engaging said fulcrum bar, link bars pivotally connected to said levers and projecting upwardly, bridle rods attached to said movable platform and extended upwardly and projecting through said link bars and through said hanger bars, said hanger bars having vertical slo-ts for the movement of said bridle rods, and nuts for preventing displacement of said bridle rods.

5. ln a dry closet provided with a movable receptacle, means for supporting and raising and lowering said receptacle consisting of a fixed platform, a fixed sealing connection above said receptacle, hanger bars attached to said fixed platform and to said sealing connection, a movable platform adapted to rest on said fixed platform .and to support said receptacle, vertical guide rods xed in said fixed platform and projecting up through said movable platform, a fulcrum bar journaled in said fixed platform, levers engaging said fulcrum bar, link bars pivotally connected to said levers and projecting upwardly, bridle rods attached to said movable platform and extended upwardly and then bent and projected through said link bars and through said hanger bars, said hanger bars having vertical slots for the movement of said bridle rods, and nuts for preventing the displacement of said bridle rods.

ln testimony whereof, l set my hand in the presence of two witnesses, this 22nd day of July, 1912.

KITT (lOl/VAN. Witnesses A. L. JACKSON, J. lV. STITT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

